Patellette Corn and Wheat Pasta with Pancetta

Method7 steps · about 1 hr 55 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix and sift both flours into a mound on a pastry board, or start in a bowl or stand mixer. Make a well, add the tepid dough water (About 250 ml) and dough-salt (1 pinch) pinch, and combine until no dry flour remains. This is one flour-and-water batch.

   Uses 300 g wheat flour · 150 g fine corn flour · About 250 ml tepid dough water · 1 pinch dough salt

   
2. 2

   Step 2: If a bowl or stand mixer began the dough, turn this same batch onto the pastry board. Knead about 5–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then form a ball, cover and rest about 15–30 minutes. The timer begins after kneading and applies to that rest only.

   After kneading: rest patellette dough · 30 minUses The single combined dough batch

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Cut off the first third and roll it into a sheet; it need not be very thin. Cut strips about 5 cm wide, then cut them obliquely into triangles, singly or with four or five strips stacked. Spread on a lightly floured surface to dry a little. Repeat rolling and cutting with the remaining two thirds until the entire dough batch is formed.

   Uses The complete rested dough, rolled one third at a time · A little extra flour for dusting the rolling surface and pasta tray

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Peel and finely chop the onion and dice all the pancetta (300 g). Wash the selected 250 g cherry tomatoes and halve larger ones; this selected route does not peel them. If using the optional half fresh chili, remove its seeds and chop it, holding a little for serving. Grate the Pecorino required for serving.

   Uses 1 onion (peeled and chopped) · 300 g pancetta, diced · 250 g cherry tomatoes · Optional ½ fresh chili, deseeded and chopped; flakes may replace it · Pecorino, grated for serving as required

5. 5

   Step 5: Heat the olive oil (2–3 tablespoons) and sauté the prepared onion and pancetta until the pancetta begins to brown. Add the prepared cherry tomatoes and let them soften slightly, then add all 250 g passata. Add some of the optional chopped fresh chili, or use flakes as desired instead. Cook briefly, keeping the sauce quite liquid rather than reducing it thick. Season with sauce salt and pepper.

   Uses 2–3 tablespoons olive oil · All the prepared onion and 300 g pancetta · All 250 g prepared cherry tomatoes · 250 g passata · Some of the chopped half fresh chili only for the fresh-chili option; hold a little for serving · Salt for the sauce, to taste · freshly ground black pepper. (to taste) · Optional chili flakes as required only INSTEAD OF the prepared fresh chili

6. 6

   Step 6: Bring a pot of water to the boil, add cooking-water salt and return to the boil. Cook all the patellette for a few minutes, testing tenderness before draining because thickness determines the time; the source guide is around 5 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of this actual pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

   Patellette: source guide 5 minutes, test actual thickness · 5 minUses Water for boiling the formed patellette, as needed · Salt for the pasta cooking water, as needed · All the raw triangles

7. 7

   Step 7: Carefully mix all the cooked patellette with all the sauce. It should be brothy; if dry, add some of the actual reserved cup of cooking water. Serve immediately with the prepared grated Pecorino and the held optional chopped chili. A source dairy-free variation omits the cheese; a vegetarian variation must also omit pancetta and use vegetarian-rennet cheese.

   Uses All the drained cooked pasta · All the briefly cooked liquid sauce · Some of the actual retained 1 cup only if needed · The cheese grated for serving as required · The little remaining chopped fresh chili only if the fresh-chili option was selected